Flight operations at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, were briefly disrupted on Thursday after a private jet suffered a tyre burst while landing, forcing a temporary closure of the runway.
The incident, which occurred around 2:00 p.m., led to a brief suspension of flight movements as airport authorities worked to clear the affected aircraft.
Confirming the development, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Michael Achimugu, said the situation had been resolved and the runway reopened.
“I was informed that a private aircraft experienced a tyre burst on landing. But it has been cleared off the runway and operations are back to normal,” Achimugu said.
Though details of the incident remain sketchy, no casualties were reported. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has yet to release an official statement on the cause of the tyre burst or whether an investigation will follow.
The temporary shutdown caused minor flight delays before normal operations resumed.
The latest incident adds to a string of runway-related disruptions at the Abuja airport in recent years.
On November 12, 2023, an Aero Contractors aircraft (registration 5N-BYQ) veered off the runway shoulder after its nose wheel got stuck in the grass verge while attempting to exit via taxiway A4, resulting in a temporary closure.
Similarly, on December 11, 2024, a cargo aircraft operated by Allied Air (registration 5N-JRT) skidded off Runway 22, prompting emergency services to shut down the runway for clearance operations.
The latest occurrence has again raised questions about runway safety and the need for improved incident management protocols at one of Nigeria’s busiest airports.
